PAGAWARANG SA KAHANGINANL: POLITICIZING RADIO PROGRAMS IN SURALLAH, SOUTH COTABATO

Political radio programs and its breadth of influence and platform for effective and wider discourse is seen as an essential media tool to inform and cognitively mobilize people especially listeners. In the Municipality of Surallah, prominent radio programs are heard on radio stations which include diverse political topics. The general content of this paper revolves on identifying different political radio programs aired on prominent local radio stations especially the type of program that caters most political topics on the airwaves, identifying diverse topics, and on how these politicized radio programs and topics help foster cognitive mobilization.Using qualitative research design, this study utilized Key Informant Interview (KII) and In-Depth Interview (IDI). Three (3) informants or radio commentators from T-Radio Surallah and Bandera Surallah are interviewed. On the other hand during IDI, ten (10) tricycle drivers from different barangays are interviewed and including also ten (10) vendors inside and outside the Surallah public market.

As conclusions were drawn, it was found out that there are diverse political programs dominating airwaves especially focused on commentary of analysis type program. These programs tend to be partisans in the sense that they are actively involved in favouring political tandems or slates. Therefore, the media, specifically radio stations in Surallah are not insulated in the game of politics and it is in fact actively involved. Diverse topics are aired and it is especially focused on local topics and updates. Lastly, these programs help foster cognitive mobilization as political topics especially local issues discussed on air evoke different discourse and conversation among listeners to their groups and peers.